fashion 1970 - 1980

The decade began with a continuation of the hippie look of the late 1960s, with afghans, Indian scarves and floral-print tunics. Jeans remained frayed and bell-bottomed, tie dye was still popular, and the fashion for unisex was mounting then ever.

Due to the choices for available clothing that had become very diverse, it was nearly impossible to tell the do's and don'ts in fashion by the 1970s. The “anything goes” in terms of fashion was increasing during these two decades of rapid social revolution and holds on until nowadays, at least for the freedom of choices.

Kenzo Takada and Sonia Rykiel were the most influential fashion character to that time in France. Kenzo drew his inspiration from all over the world, mixing Western and Oriental folk influences with a fantastic 'joie de vivre' (joy of life) and an instinctive understanding of what his young customers wanted. He literally turned the fashion world upside down with his unusual prints, fluid lines and clever combined accessories. Sonia Rykiel, the so-called queen of knits in 1974, designed her first sweaters with reversed seams. She created a whole range of clothes that were extremely individual and yet could be worn almost anywhere.

Men's fashion changed more in the 1970s than it had done in a whole century. The typical male look was defined by narrow shoulders, tight-fitting lines, no tie, no interfacing, zip-up boiler suits, waisted jackets or tunics, sometimes even without shirt. Fashion designer of that time adopted the unisex look and transformed it even to the work clothes, like traditional suits and changed them to a more informal style.

A huge change in fashion was also the influential increase of Italian's fashion. Milan confirmed its status as the second center of international fashion after Paris. Capitalizing on the dominant trend of anti-fashion, Italy offered a glamor that had nothing to do with the dictates of Parisian haute couture. While profiting from a clearly defined style, Italian fashion was luxurious and easy to wear. The two most influential Italian fashion designers of the time were Giorgio Armani and Nino Cerutti.

Fashion 1960 - 1970

The 1960s featured a number of diverse trends. It was a decade that broke many fashion traditions, mirroring social movements during the period. In the middle of the decade, culottes, box-shaped PVC dresses and go go boots were popular. The widely popular bikini came into fashion in 1963 after being featured in the musical Beach Party.

By the 1960s, the empire of fashion had begun to break up into various style tribes.Until the 1960s Paris was supposed to be the center of fashion only. Prior to the 1960s fashion designers generally created styles for runway shows and clothing manufacturers mass produced the designers’ styles for the general public. At that time the youth generation with a power and culture that was all their own, now at an age to speak out, began to rebel against traditional clothing styles and created their own fashion trends.

A huge variety of clothing became popular beside the short miniskirts, including bell bottoms, hot pants and blue jeans. It was no longer shocking for women to wear pants on a daily basis.

Emilio Pucci and Paco Rabanne were two very influential fashion designers in the 1960s. Emilio Pucci's sportswear designs and prints earned him a very high reputation of the high society. Rabanne was also the first fashion designer to use black models in the conservative world of haute couture.

Fashion 1950 - 1960

During the 1950's young people were starting to develop fashions of their own. Three of the most prominent of the Parisian couturiers in the 1950s were Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and Pierre BAlmain. Balenciaga is well known as one of the few couturiers in fashion history who could use their own hands to design, cut, and sew the models which showed the extent of his artistry. In 1951, he totally changed the silhouette, broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. Followed by the tunic dress which he designed in 1955 and which later developed into the chemise dress of 1957.

From the mid-1950s, a new unfitted style of clothing appeared as an alternative to the tight waist and full skirt associated with the New Look.

 

The French designer Givenchy created a sensation with his separates, which could be mixed and matched at will. His first couture house was opened in 1952. Balmain liked to dress up sophisticated women luxurious elegance, simple tailoring, and a more natural look. His clientele was typified by the tailored glamor of the "New Look", with its ample bust, narrow waist, and full skirts.

One result of the Post-World War II economic expansion was a flood of synthetic fabrics and easy-care processes. "Drip-dry" nylon, orlon and dacron, which could retain heat-set pleats after washing, became immensely popular. Acrylic, polyester, triactate and spandex were all introduced in the 1950s.

In 1954, after closing different boutiques in the war years, Coco Chanel's strong comeback went in history. She detested the "New Look" to the fashion world and presented a collection which contained a whole range of ideas that would be adopted and copied by women all over the world: her famous little braided suit with gold chains, shiny costume jewelry, silk blouses in colors that matched the suit linings, sleek tweeds, monogrammed buttons, flat black silk bows, boaters, quilted bags on chains, and evening dresses and furs that were marvels of simplicity. 

Fashion 1940 - 1950

The New Look

On February 12, 1947, Christian Dior launched the first collection of the House Of Dior. The new collection went down in fashion history as the "New Look". The signature shape was characterized by a below-mid-calf length, full-skirt, pointed bust, small waist, and rounded shoulder line.

During the World War II (1939 - 1945), all types of cloth were needed for a variety of wartime purposes, and material for clothing was severely rationed and limited for each year and its number decreased steadily as the war progressed. From 1940 onward, no more than thirteen feet (four meters) of cloth was permitted to be used for a coat and a little over 3 feet (1 meter) was all that allowed for a blouse.  Despite this, haute couture tried to stay afloat. Fashions of the era emphasized shorter skirts than ever before, buttons for any type of clothes were limited to three per item, evening wear was also shortened and women were encouraged to make do with ankle socks and bare legs.

Women's shoes

Wedge heels were still worn but now with shallower wedges.

Shoes became more delicate,high-heeled court shoes, or shoes finely strapped round the ankles, worn with beige nylons were the rage for a time as part of the ” New Look”.

Plain high heeled black leather or suede court shoes were the main shoe style.

Rouched Chiffon Gloves were popular in the 1940′s and Opera Gloves continuedto be worn right into the 1950′s for evening wear.

Fashion 1930 - 1940

The lighthearted, forward-looking attitude and fashions of the late 1920s lingered through most of 1930, but by the end of that year the effects of the Great Depression began to affect the public, and a more conservative approach to fashion displaced that of the 1920s.

For women, skirts became longer and the waist-line was returned up to its normal position in an attempt to bring back the traditional "womanly" look.

Jean Patou, who had first raised hemlines to 18" off the floor with his "flapper" dresses of 1924, had begun lowering them again in 1927, using Vionnet's handkerchief hemline to disguise the change. By 1930, longer skirts and natural waists were shown everywhere.

Jean Patou

 Feminine curves were highlighted in the 1930s through the use of the bias-cut in dresses. Madeleine Vionnet was the innovator of the bias-cut and used this method to create sculptural dresses that molded and shaped over the body's contours as it draped the female form. Through the mid-1930s, the natural waistline was often accompanied by emphasis on an empire line. Short bolero jackets, capelets, and dresses cut with fitted midriffs or seams below the bust increased the focus on breadth at the shoulder.

Evening dresses with matching jackets were worn to the theatre, nightclubs, and elegant restaurants.

Full, gathered skirts, known as the dirndl skirt, became popular around 1945.

Gloves were "enormously important" in this period. Evening dresses were accompanied by elbow length gloves, and day costumes were worn with short or opera-length gloves of fabric or leather.

Fashion 1920 - 1930

World War II caused many changes in the fashion industry. After the War, Paris wasn't the global center of fashion like it used to be and mass-manufactured fashion became increasingly popular.

During the 1920s clothing styles officially entered the modern era of fashion design. The divide that had always existed between the high society and worker class was suddenly questioned in the West. A new young generation was born who fought against the existing differences. Women began to liberate themselves from constricting and uncomfortable gowns for the first time. They were open for casual and more comfortable styles like pants and shorter skirts, low waistlines, and revolutionary styles of the flapper era. Cloche hats without rims also became a key popular accessory.

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Peoples behaviour also seemed to characterize the 1920's.. Manners were less formal, clothes were more casual and younger people were free to live away from there parents.

Then, the girls rebelled, They smoked in public places, cut off their hair, wore make up, skirts went shorter and they went to parties un chaperoned.

Flapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a “new breed” of young western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Flappers were seen as brash for wearing excessive makeup, drinking, treating sex in a casual manner, smoking, driving automobiles and otherwise flouting social and sexual norms.

Young men wore casual clothes too, they drank cocktails, the wealthier ones drove the best cars, sports clothing was a fashion statement.

Young women strived to be like the hollywood movie stars. Then came the eye make up trend. The 'vamped' look, making the eyes the focal point of the face. They were dark and intensely dramatic.

Womens dresses were flowing and bias cut. The bias cut was originally introduced by Madeleine Vionnet.

Undergarments began to transform after World War I to conform to the ideals of a flatter chest and more boyish figure. The womens rights movement had a strong effect on women's fashions. Most importantly, the confining corset was discarded, replaced by a chemise or camisole and bloomers, later shortened to panties or knickers. During the mid-twenties all-in-one lingerie became popular.

 A more masculine look became popular, including flattened breasts and hips, short hairstyles such as the bob cut. The fashion was bohemian and forthcoming for its age.

Teenage girls in Minnesota wear breeches and riding boots with men's neckties, 1924.

Knee length pleated skirts and dropped waists were still popular as everyday clothes in 1929.

Menswear

In the early twenties, men's fashion was characterized by extremely high waisted jackets, often worn with belts. Trousers were relatively narrow and straight (never tapered) and they were worn rather short so that a man's socks often showed. Trousers also began to be worn cuffed at the bottom at this time.

By 1925, wider trousers commonly known as "Oxford Bags" came into fashion, while suit jackets returned to a normal waist and lapels became wider and were often worn peaked.

Man in 1927 wearing a Panama Hat and buttoned waistcoat.